Electromechanical striking mechanism



No. 6l5,057. Patented Nov. 29, I898. c. E. BEACH & H. w. nouamv.

ELEOTROMECHANICAL STRIKING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Sept. 8, 1896.)

(No Model.)

INVENTORS mauanms vzrzns cu. wow-1mm.v wmsumsvunv u. c.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. BEACH AND HERMAN W. DOUGHTY, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE STAR ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

ELECTROMECHANICAL STRIKING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,057, dated November 29, 1898. Application filed September 8, 1896. Serial No. 605,090. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CLARENCE E. BEACH and HERMAN W. DOUGHTY, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Electromechanical Striking Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in electromechanical striking mechanisms, in which the normally-restrained operating force is controlled by electromagnets and which when released causes a suitable body to be projected against a device for the purpose of producing audible or visible signals.

Our invention is in the nature of an improvement upon that shown in the application of Clarence E. Beach, filed May 14, 1896, Serial No. 591,577, to which reference is hereby made.

The objects of our invention are to produce a device which shall be more simple in con struction, with no delicate parts, more positive and reliable in action, and which shall therefore be more durable, less subject to derangement, and cheaper to manufacture than are similar devices at present in use. In the attainment of these objects we have employed certain peculiar features of construction and arrangement of parts, all of which will now be fnllydescribed, and finally embraced in the claims.

We have chosen to represent our invention in its adaptation to electromechanical gongs; but we do not limit ourselves to that application.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like numerals of reference denote the same parts throughout the several Views, Figure l is a front elevation of an electromechanical gong embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a modification of Fig. 1, showing alternate construction.

In the construction of our invention we provide a suitable motive power, which may consist of any common arrangement, as of springs or weights, for imparting the necessary motion to the parts of our device.

When arranged to be operated by a spring, we provide a shaft 1, to the rotation of which the spring 2 is applied either directly, as

shown, or through an intermediate system of gearing applied in a common manner. The wheel 3 is mounted upon the shaft 1 so as to rotate therewith in a certain direction, said wheel being provided with teeth 4 or other equivalent projections or indentations. The pawl 5 may be attached to a lever 6, which in turn is mounted upon a pivot 7, about which it is capable of swinging. A guide 8 or its equivalent may be provided, so shaped as to be capable of directing the pawl 5 into engagement with the teeth 4 when the lever 6 is in its normal position; or we may provide the projection 26, (shown in Fig. 3,) so situated upon the lever 6 that it can be brought.

into engagement with the teeth 4, said lever 6 being brought to and maintained in its normal position by the action of gravity, which may, however, be either reinforced or replaced by the action of a spring of sufiicient tension, the pivot 7 being so situated with reference to the shaft 1 that the movement of thearm 6 in a certain direction will tend to disengage the projection 26 from the teeth 4 just before the motion of the wheel 3 is arrested by the controlling mechanism, thus permitting said projection to clear the tooth upon the wheel with which it has just been in engagement and to return to its normal position; or we may so place the pivot 7 that a free end of the lever 6 may be brought within the path of the teeth 4, thus dispensing with the use of the pawl 5 and projection 26.

The lever 6 may be provided at its free end with a hammer 24, or the hammer may be mounted upon a separate lever, which would be so connected to the lever 6 as to receive an oscillating motion therefrom.

In constructing the improved electromagnetic escapement mechanism shown we may provide the shaft 13, which is placed within the path of the teeth 4 and provided with a notch 15 for allowing said teeth to pass the shaft when said shaft is in a certain position. Attached to said shaft we provide the arm 14, so constructed and arranged that it tends by the action of gravity or of a spring (not shown) which may be connected to said arm to revolve the shaft 13 to such point that'the notch 15 will lie within the path of the teeth 4. The armature 17 may be attached to or form part of the arm 14, said armature being so situated with reference to magnets 16 that it may be brought within the range of their influence. Ve provide a link 20, one end of which is connected with the lever (i and the other end provided with a connection with a lever 19, whereby the movement of said link in a certain direction may be transmitted to said lever 19. The lever 19 is placed within the path of the arm H, and a free end of said lever is arranged to engage with and to revolve said arm to a point that will bring the armature 17 within the range of the influence of the magnets 16, the length of said lever 19 being so proportioned to the movement of the arm 14 in the direction of the magnets 16 that when said lever has caused the arm 1-l to bring the armature 17 within the range of the influence of the magnets 16 the pressure of said arm let upon the lever 19 will be in such direction as will retain the lever 19 in engagement with said arm until such pressure is relieved by the attraction of the magnets 16.

Instead of the shaft 13, on which the arm 14 swings, being used to stop the wheel 3 a pin or lug may be fixed at any point on the said lever where it will stand within the path of the teeth when thearmature 17 is within the range of attraction of the magnets 16 and will be thrown out of the path of said teeth whenever said armature swings out of the range of attraction of the magnets. When such pin or lug is employed as a stop, the path of the teeth 4 should still be across the axis of the shaft 13, so that the blow of said teeth on the stop-pin would be taken directly by said shaft and thereby have no tendency to swing the arm 14: on its pivot.

The pawl 5, guide 8, and shaft 13 are so arranged and constructed with relation to each other and to the teeth 4 that the pawl 5 and shaft 13 can never be simultaneously out of the path of said teeth.

We do not limit ourselves to this construction, as any electromagnetic escapement mechanism arranged to be magnetically released and to be reset by the movement of the lever 6, wheel 3, or parts moving therewith would successfully control our mechanism. It is further obvious that our improved electromagnetic escapement mechanism may be adapted for use with any mechanism where a moving part is to be restrained and released.

The operation of our device is as follows: \Vhen the spring 2 has been wound and a source of electrical energy connected to the electromagnets 16, the armature of thelatter will be attracted, thus releasing the lever 19, which will be withdrawn from engagement with the arm 14. If the current through the magnets 16 is now interrupted, the armature will be released and rotate the shaft 13 in such a manner as to bring the notch 15 within the path of the teeth at. The wheel 3 will then start to revolve, carrying with it the pawl which is attached to the lever 6, thus causing the hammer 24 to be forciblyimpelled in the direction of the gong. Before the lever 6 has'reached the end of its path the link 20, which is attached to said lever, will engage the lever 19, which will so influence the arm 14 as to cause it to rotate the shaft 13, thus bringing a portion of said shaft within the path of the teeth 4, preventing the further movement of the wheel 3, and bringing the armature within the range of the attraction of the magnets, by which it will, if the eircuitthrough them has already been closed, be retained in position, and the lever 19, link 20, and lever 6 will return to their normal positions after the hammer 24 has struck the gong; otherwise the lever 19 will remain in engagement With and supporting the arm 14, while the lever 6 and the link 20 return to their normal positions. lVhen, however, the magnets are again energized, the lever 19 will be released and allowed to move out of engagement with the arm 14.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the operation would be the same as that already described with reference to the other figures as far as the controlling mechanism is concerned. However, the lever 6 is moved in this case by the engagement of the projection 26 with one of the teeth 4, and the wheel 3 continues to revolve until such tooth has been disengaged from the projection 26, after which the lever 6 will be returned to its normal position in the manner hereinbefore described, and thus bring the projection 26 into engagement with another of the teeth 4.

In the preceding description of our invention we have confined ourselves closely to the construction shown in the drawings; but various changes might be made in the construction and arrangement of our device or certain parts be omitted or inserted without departing from the essential features of our invention. lVe do not, therefore, confine ourselves to the particular construction shown; but

Vhat we claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armatureinfluenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the motion of the revoluble part; and a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being provided with a pawl or projection constructed and arranged to engage with the projections orinden tations provided upon the revoluble part.

2. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armature influenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the motion slaps? a of the revoluble part; -a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being provided with a pawl constructed and arranged to engage with the projections or indentations provided upon the revoluble part; and a guide for directing the pawlinto engagement with said projections or indentations whenever the lever is in a certain position.

3. A revolublepart provided with projections orindentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armature influenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the motion of the revoluble part; and a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being provided with a projection constructed and arranged to engage with the projections or indentations provided upon the revoluble part when said lever is in a certain position and disengage from such projections when said lever is in another position.

4:. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armature influenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the motion of the revoluble part; a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being provided with a pawl or projection constructed and arranged to engage with the projections or indentations provided upon the revoluble part; and the connection between the lever and the controlling mechanism constructed and arranged to cause the movement of the revoluble part to be interrupted by the controlling mechanism whenever the lever is in a certain position.

5. A revoluble part provided with projections orindentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armature influenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the motion of the revoluble part; a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being provided with a pawl constructed and arranged to engage with the projections or indentations provided upon the revoluble part; a guide for directing the pawl into engagement with said projections or indentations whenever the lever is in a certain position; and a connection between the lever and the controlling mechanism constructed and arranged to cause the movement of the revoluble part to be interrupted by the controlling mechanism whenever the lever is in a certain position.

6. A revoluble part provided with projections orindentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an

armature influenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the mot-ion of the revoluble part; a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being provided with a projection constructed and arranged to engage with the projections or indentations provided upon the revoluble part when said lever is in a certain position and to disengage from such projections when said lever is in another position; and the connection between the lever and the controlling mechanism constructed and arranged to cause the movement of the revoluble part to be interrupted by the controlling mechanism whenever the lever is in a certain position.

7. A revoluble part provided with projectionsorindentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armature influenced thereby, and a part mov ing with said armature and constructed and,

arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the motion of the revoluble part; a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being provided with a pawl or projection constructed and arranged to engage with the projections orindentations provided upon the revoluble part; in combination with means for preventing the part moving with the armature and the pawl or projection provided upon the lever from being simultaneously withdrawn from the path of the projections provided upon the revoluble part.

8. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armature influenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the motion of the revoluble part; a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being provided with a pawl or projection constructed and arranged to engage with the projections orindentations provided upon the revoluble part; in combination with means for causing the part moving with the armature to engage with one of the projections provided upon the revoluble part whenever the lever has assumed a certain position.

9. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armature influenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the motion of therevoluble part; a lever operating or forming part of astriking mechanism, said lever being provided with a pawl or projection constructed and arranged to engage with the projections or indentations provided upon the revoluble part; in combination with the means for causing the part moving with the armature to engage with one of the projections provided upon the revoluble part whenever the lever has assumed a certain position and for retaining said part moving with the armature in such engagement independently of the position assumed by the lever until the armature is attracted and supported by the magnet.

10. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armature influenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to engage with said projections or indentations and thereby arrest the motion of the revoluble part; and a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being normally in its retracted position and provided with a pawl or projection constructed and arranged to engage with the projections or indentations provided upon the revoluble part.

11. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations; an electromagnetic controlling mechanism including, magnets, an armature influenced thereby, and a part moving with said armature and constructed and arranged to be brought into engagement with said projections or indentations by the action of the lever and therebyarrestthe motion of the revoluble part; and a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, said lever being provided with a pawl or projection constructed and arranged to engage with the projections or indentations provided upon the revoluble part.

12. Magnets, an armature influenced thereby, a notch or projection moving with said armature, an actuating-wheel engaging with the notch or projection, and an arm operated by said actuating-wheel and arranged to operate the armature for the purpose described.

13. Magnets, an armatureintluenced thereby, a notch or projection moving wit-h said armature, a lever arranged to operate said armature and be restrained thereby at certain times, an actuating-wheel engaging with the notch or projection and an arm operated by said actuating-wheel and connected to the armature-operating lever.

14:. Magnets, an armature influenced thereby, a notch or projection connected with said armature, an actuating-wheel with which the notch or projection may engage, an arm operated by said actuating-wheel, a lever so constructed that it may cause the armature to assume a position that will bring the notch or projection into engagement with the actuating-wheel, and a link connecting the lever and arm.

15. Magnets, an armature influenced thereby and attached to or forming part of a revoluble arm, a notch or projection moving with said revoluble arm, an actuating-wheel with which the notch or projection may engage, an arm operated by said actuating-wheel, a lever so constructed that it will support the armature in close proximity to the poles of the magnets when said lever is in a certain position and so arranged that when so infinencing said armature said lever will be prevented from Withdrawing its support until the magnets become energized; in combination with a connection between the arm operated by the actuating-wheel and the armature operating and supporting lever.

16. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations, a lever operating 01' forming part of a striking mechanism, a pawl or projection attached to said lever and so arranged that it may engage with said projections or indentations, an arm carrying a detent arranged to engage with said projections or indentations, magnets and their armature by Which said arm may be controlled, and a connection between the lever and the arm arranged to cause the detent to engage with the projections or indentations whenever the lever assumes a certain position.

17. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations, a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, a projection attached to said lever and so constructed and arranged that it may engage with said projections or indentations, an arm carrying a detent arranged to engage with said projections or indentations, magnets and their armature by which said arm may be controlled, and a connection between the lever and the arm arranged to cause the (letent to engage with the projections or indentations whenever the lever assumes a position where the projection will disengage from said projections or indentations.

18. A revoluble part provided with projections or indentations, a lever operating or forming part of a striking mechanism, a pawl attached to said lever and so constructed and arranged that it may engage with said projections or indentations, a guide so arranged as to direct the pawl into engagement with the projections or indentations whenever the lever assumes a certain position, an arm carrying a detent arranged to engage with said projections or indentations, magnets and their armature by which said arm may be controlled, and a connection between the lever and the arm so arranged that the detent and pawl will not simultaneously disengage the projections or indentations.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

CLARENCE E. BEACH. HERMAN W. DOUGH'IY.

Vitnesses:

S. H. CHASE, R. P. SMITH. 

